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Remains Of 15 Missing Gis Are Repatriated

NORTH KOREA — The remains of 15 American troops missing since the end of the Korean War arrived in Japan on Saturday, where a solemn repatriation ceremony was held at a U.S. air base.

The remains of the 15 believed to be missing in action from the 1950-53 war arrived at Yokota Air Base from Pyongyang on a U.S. military transport plane, marking the largest number of repatriated remains since the United States and North Korea began joint recovery operations in 1996.

One by one, the coffins, draped in the flag of the United Nations, were removed from the plane and placed on a platform in a hangar, where about 100 soldiers, veterans and recovery workers said a brief prayer for the missing GIs who fought in Korea under the UN banner.

"This year's work was the most productive to date, recovering 65 sets of remains during five operations," the Defense Department said, adding that 107 sets of remains have been recovered in joint operations since 1996.

The recovery operation has been one of the few areas of prolonged cooperation between Washington and Pyongyang, and the two sides will start preliminary planning in December to establish a schedule for operations in 2001, the Pentagon said.

The remains will be flown to Hawaii and taken to the Army's Central Identification Laboratory for forensic examination and positive identification.